MLB Player News

Andrus will start at shortstop and bat in the cleanup spot Sunday against the Royals.

After recording eight extra-base hits in his first nine games of the season, Andrus has cooled off in the power department, but that won't prevent manager Jeff Banister from giving him a look in the heart of the lineup. Expect Andrus to move back to either the No. 2 or 6 spot in the order during the series opener with the Twins on Monday, when Mike Napoli is expected to reclaim cleanup duties following a one-game rest.

Merrifield will start at second base and occupy the leadoff spot for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

With Alex Gordon struggling to provide much of an impact at the top of the order, manager Ned Yost will give Merrifield a look in the leadoff spot, though it's unclear if the experiment will last more than one game. Even if Merrifield is moved down in the order in subsequent contests, he at least seems to have a steady hold on the everyday gig at second base with Raul Mondesi having been banished to Triple-A Omaha. Through five games since he was promoted to the big leagues, Merrifield has gone 5-for-15 with a homer, a stolen base and two RBI.

Polanco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Tigers, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Polanco has started five of the last six games but has recorded only three hits in 16 at-bats, so manager Paul Molitor will give the young shortstop a day off and see if Eduardo Escobar can provide more of an offensive spark. Escobar will bat seventh in the lineup Sunday, while Max Kepler will move up to the No. 2 spot in the order in Polanco's absence.

Frazier is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.

With left-hander Jordan Montgomery toeing the rubber for the Yankees on Sunday, Frazier will head to the bench in favor of the right-handed hitting Jose Osuna.

The Mets have no intentions of immediately promoting Rosario, despite his hot start, the team's myriad of injuries and Jose Reyes' slump, Newsday reports.

Rosario is slashing .387/.418/.435 while also playing solid defense at short and seeing time at third base. The Mets are reluctant to promote him too soon before he might be ready. In addition, by waiting, the Mets also would be able to delay his arbitration and free agency rights an extra year. But if he continues to rake at the plate and the team continues to struggle, the Mets' view may be forced to change.

Altuve went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two runs and a stolen base during Saturday's loss to Tampa Bay.

Already up to nine runs and seven stolen bases with a .304 batting average and .380 on-base percentage, Altuve is kick-starting 2017 as expected. His power outburst last year will likely prove to be tough to duplicate, but his ability to reach base, post a high-end batting average, touch home plate and steal bases makes Altuve an elite fantasy asset.

Drury is out of Saturday's lineup against the Dodgers.

He has started 16 of the first 19 games of the season, hitting .293/.339/.379, and has not yet hit a home run or successfully stolen a base (0-for-1). Daniel Descalso will start at second base and hit sixth.

Frazier will leadoff and play second base Saturday against the Yankees.

Frazier is hitting .286 in 45 at-bats but has just one hit in 10 at-bats since April 16. His defense remains an issue, but he'll get a chance with righty Michael Pineda on the mound for New York. Frazier will be making his fifth appearance at second base in 2017, increasing his positional eligibility in some leagues.

Drury went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs scored in Friday's 13-5 win over the Dodgers.

It's the first multi-hit outing for Drury since April 8, concluding a 10-game stretch where he'd gone just 5-for-36 at the dish. In collecting two walks as well Friday, Drury matched his combined output from his previous 15 games this season. The Diamondbacks would probably like to see Drury show some improved plate discipline, but he's still fairly secure in his everyday starting role at second base.

Andrus is not in the lineup for Friday's contest with the Royals.

Andrus is batting below the Mendoza Line in his past seven games, so he'll head to the bench for a night off. Jurickson Profar will slide over to shortstop to fill the void while Delino DeShields Jr. takes over in left field for the evening.